When forming composite articles, it may be necessary to position multiple composite plies on a tool at specified locations and at specified fiber orientations. In this regard, it is typically desirable to position the plies such that the fibers in each ply are oriented at a specified angle relative to the remaining plies in the stack and relative to the tool. When forming composite articles having a relatively simple geometry such as a planar geometry, the positioning of each ply on the tool at the desired fiber orientation may be performed without excessive difficulty.
However, when laying up composite plies on a tool having a complex three-dimensional geometry, positioning of the composite plies may be a challenging and labor-intensive process due to difficulties in laying up each ply such that the fibers are maintained at the desired angle along the three-dimensional geometry of the tool. Furthermore, the fibers must be maintained at the desired orientation during infusion of the ply stack with matrix material and while heat and pressure are applied which may add to the complexity of forming the composite article. In this regard, tooling aids may be employed to facilitate the alignment and positioning of the composite plies on the tool. Unfortunately, such tooling aids increase the time, cost, and complexity associated with forming the composite article.
As can be seen, there exists a need in the art for a system and method for positioning composite plies on a tool such that the composite plies may be placed on the tool at the desired position and location without the need for tooling aids. Further in this regard, there exists a need in the art for a system and method for positioning composite plies on a tool that may reduce the amount of touch labor required for positioning the composite plies such that the fibers in each ply are maintained at the desired orientation.